One killed, nine injured in two IED blasts in Quetta

Injured include two senior police officers, a TV reporter and a cameraman

QUETTA: A volunteer of Chhipa Welfare Association died and nine others sustained injuries in two improvised explosive device (IED) blasts that occurred near Khezai Chowk of western bypass in Quetta late Thursday night.

The injured included two senior police officers, a TV reporter and a cameraman.

According to police, the first blast took place near the office of a transport company, injuring four people. As police and security personnel rushed to the site of the blast, second explosion occurred injuring another five people including station house officers (SHOs) of two police stations.

“A volunteer of Chhipa rescue team was killed in the blast,” DIG Quetta, Abdul Razzaq Cheema said, and added, “two sub-inspectors of airport and Kharotabad police stations and three other security personnel, including two officials of bomb disposal squad were injured”.

PHOTO: ONLINE

The injured were shifted to Civil and Bolan Medical College Complex hospitals.

“We received one body and nine injured at both the hospitals,” Civil Hospital Quetta spokesman Dr Wasim Baig, said.

Police said that improvised explosive device (IED) was used in both the blasts.

The first IED went off near the office of a transport company, while a motorcycle packed with explosives parked near the canteen of the transport company was used in the second blast.

“Devise fixed in the motorbike was detonated with a remote control,” Cheema said.

PHOTO: ONLINE

The blasts shook the whole locality and shattered the windowpanes and glasses of the nearby buildings.

The deceased rescue worker was identified as Muhammad Naeem, while the injured included Ibrar Ahmed (reporter) Syed Rehmat Ali (cameraman), Noorul Hassan, Niaz Ahmed (police officer), Asmautullah, Fazalur Rehman, Khushaddil Khan, Irshad Nawaz and Arif Ali.

Police and other security agencies had started the investigation. However, no one claimed responsibility for the attack till the filing of this news story.